There are songs that entertain you. Then there are songs that reach into your chest and rearrange something. The XCERTS just dropped the latter.
The Aberdeen-formed, Brighton-based trio — vocalist/guitarist Murray Macleod, bassist Jordan Smith and drummer Tom Heron — have unveiled their stunning new single “in your eyes”, and honestly? Brace yourself.
Where their recent comeback cut do it to myself came swinging with restless, wired energy, in your eyes is a completely different beast. It starts fragile — almost whispered — before building into the kind of widescreen emotional crescendo that has made The XCERTS one of the UK’s most beloved alternative bands over their 20+ year run. It’s expansive, it’s devastating, and it feels like the most important thing they’ve ever made.
Because, well, it might be.
Murray didn’t hold back when talking about the track: ”‘in your eyes’ is without question the most raw and personal song we’ve ever written. Fundamentally, it’s about loss. The loss of what I deemed to be forever love and the cruelty of cancer.”
The song closes with the words “this isn’t goodbye, this is I’ll love you forever” — a line that hits like a gut punch wrapped in a hug. But the real moment? The track ends with Jordan’s mum blowing a kiss and saying “I love you.” Murray’s words on that: “it was important for her to close out this song as it belongs to her.”
We’re not crying, you’re crying. (We’re crying.)
The XCERTS have just been announced for 2000 Trees Festival this summer — a spiritual home for the band if ever there was one. If you’ve ever seen them at a festival, you already know. If you haven’t, fix that.
🎟 Sat 11th July — 2000 Trees Festival, Cheltenham
More new music is reportedly on the way. Given what they’ve delivered so far, we’re all ears.
Stream in your eyes now. Then stream it again.
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